Massage
by Gwen Kahill
Summary: After a long afternoon of training with his knights, Prince Arthur calls Merlin up to his room for a well-deserved massage. Merthur smut, set some time in the first or second season.
1. Chapter 1

_Merlin wrenched himself apart from Arthur to catch his breath. They sat there, panting, for a second, foreheads still touching. Merlin placed his hands on Arthur's cheeks and glanced down at his moist, pink lips. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, and-_

"MERLIN!"

"AH!" Merlin sprang into a sitting position in his bed.

Gaius stood in his doorway, peering down at him. "Were you having a bad dream again? I thought I heard-"

"N-No, no, nothing of the sort, I'm…I'm fine…"

Gaius just let out a wheezy sigh and continued, "Anyway, I just came by to inform you that you're late, again. There's bread and butter on the table outside. I'll be out all day today, but I'll see you at supper tonight."

Cheeks pink, Merlin jumped out of bed and started picking his clothes off the ground. "Alright, you go on ahead. Don't worry about me!" he called after the physician's retreating back.

As he dressed hastily and a bit clumsily, Merlin ran his to-do list over in his mind. _Muck out the stables, bring Arthur his breakfast, get him ready for training, run errands for Gaius, polish Arthur's new set of armour…_

He paused. _If it's new, why does it need to be polished?_ he grumbled to himself. Slipping his scuffed brown boots on over his woollen socks, Merlin grabbed his neckerchief and raced out the door. With all the things he had to get done in the few minutes he had, his dream was long forgotten by the time he was striding through the corridors of the castle.

* * *

_"Oh, Merlin," Arthur panted, curling his fingers into his servant's dark hair. He dived back into the kiss after the brief respite, taking Merlin's lips between his, and-_

Arthur's eyes flew open. He had woken up in a sweaty tangle, bedsheets pinning his limbs in place, for the second morning in a row. His blond hair was soaked with perspiration and his face flushed with heat. With a groan, Arthur tried to sit up, only to fall back onto his pillows again.

Although he had nothing much scheduled besides a training session, his day was not off to a good start. Waking up late under a glaring midmorning sun after yet another embarrassing dream about Merlin in a pool of his own sweat was not his ideal morning.

Kicking the sweaty sheets off, Arthur stumbled out of bed in time to hear a soft knock on the door and then, "Are you up yet, Arthur? You're going to be late."

"Er…come in," Arthur called out, hastily trying to flatten his bedhead and straighten his nightshirt.

The door was nudged open, and Merlin entered the chamber with a stack of bedsheets, clothes, and towels in his arms and a silver platter of bread and fruit balanced precariously on his fingertips. "Have you forgotten about training today? It starts in approximately six minutes, and you haven't had any breakfast."

Arthur rubbed his eyes. "I overslept. That's alright, I'll skip breakfast today." Avoiding his servant's eyes (_That's right, he's your servant, nothing more, and don't you forget it, Arthur,_ he thought to himself), he snatched his favourite white shirt down from the top of his dressing screen.

Merlin peered at him suspiciously. The prince wasn't acting like his usual irritating self. "Alright then…just have an apple on the way out, or something." He held up Arthur's armour. "Now, come here."

* * *

"One! Two! Three! Four!" Arthur straightened up from his stance and lowered his sword, turning to face the knights, who similarly planted the tips of their swords in the grass. "Alright, I wanted to do some one-on-one with all of you today, but we don't have much time left. So, volunteers? Come on, you'll all have a go tomorrow anyways."

A few men stepped forward.

"Good. We'll start with you, Gwyn."

In the middle of parrying a blow, something at the edge of Arthur's vision distracted him. He looked up to see Merlin some distance away, laughing with Guinevere, Morgana's maidservant, about something-probably him. Were they laughing at him?

"Oof!" Thrown off his feet, Arthur landed on his bottom in the green grass.

Gwyn, grinning good-naturedly, offered him a hand. "Not losing your touch, are you?"

Arthur squinted up through the sunlight at the knight. "I let you win that one. It's not that easy to beat me."

"Of course," Gwyn laughed, mock-bowing. "Another round?"

* * *

"Merlin!" Gwen strode towards him, long skirt blowing about her ankles in the pleasant breeze. She had a basket of sewing supplies attached to her hip and a length of red velvet with silver embroidery on it draped over her other arm. "I haven't seen you all morning. Busy with Arthur?" she asked sympathetically, glancing knowingly at the prince, who was shielding himself dignifiedly against a bellowing, mace-wielding knight in the middle of the field they stood on the edge of.

"Not just Arthur," sighed Merlin, trying not to drop the clanking pile of rusty armour he balanced in his arms. "I have a thousand errands to run for Gaius. Get this-he wants me to fetch him honey, new towels and bandages, and some poison called foxglove, and then deliver some goods to a woman who lives near the gates. That's all four corners of the city!"

They shared a laugh.

"I wish I could help, Merlin," Gwen smiled apologetically, "but I have a lot of work to do for Lady Morgana as well."

"Of course," answered Merlin. "Well, I suppose we should get going, then. I'll see you later?"

After they parted ways, Merlin jogged up the front steps of the castle and then up the steeper stairs inside. He paused by the window to watch the knights train for a moment.

Arthur and Sir Leon were locked in combat, swords clashing, each feigning and parrying and jabbing at each other so furiously Merlin had a hard time keeping up. One second Arthur was bearing down upon Leon; the next, he was struggling to keep his shield up against the blows Leon rained down on him.

The corner of Merlin's mouth lifted in a half-smile. Although he would never admit it, it never ceased to amaze him how fierce and confident Arthur looked when he was focused in a fight, mind always a few steps ahead of his body, constantly knowing what to do next. It was quite attractive, really.

He almost slapped himself. _I can't _believe_ you just thought that!_ he shouted at himself mentally. Jerking himself away from the window, he raced up the stairs, the armour in his arms clattering squealing noisily, to resume his duties.


	2. Chapter 2

By the end of the session, Arthur was aching like he hadn't ached in years. His only wish was that he would stop getting distracted with stray thoughts of the dimple in Merlin's right cheek, his awkward laugh, the adorable little dent in the middle of his full lower lip...

Sighing, Arthur hung up his chain mail and turned to see Gwen standing in the doorway. "Oh, hello, Guinevere. Look for Merlin as soon as you're free, will you? I need my helmet polished, my sword sharpened, and my clothes washed, not to mention a massage."

Gwen smiled. "Of course. I'll go get him right now."

When the maidservant was gone, he meandered up to his bedroom and collapsed onto his bed with a satisfied grunt.

"You sent for me?"

Arthur looked up. Merlin was standing at the door, a white towel and a bottle of oil in hand. He beckoned him over. "I'm sore and aching all over. Work your magic." From past experiences, he knew how good his servant was with stiff muscles and throbbing bones. "Here, give me a moment."

Merlin just shrugged as Arthur disappeared behind the screen that served as his dressing room. While he waited, he busied himself setting up the bed for the massage and spreading the towel out so that he could reach it easily should it be needed.

"All ready?"

Merlin turned to reply and nearly knocked the oil over. Arthur stood by the bed clad only in a white cloth wrapped around his waist. All of his well-worked muscles were exposed, from his firm biceps to his defined abs to his rounded calves. Merlin could only stand there with his mouth agape in that moment.

Raising an eyebrow, Arthur asked, "Well, are you just going to stand there, or…?"

"Oh…oh, right. Yeah, yeah, I'll just…" Fumbling, Merlin set down the oil and gestured down at the bed. "Go ahead."

Arthur lay facedown on the white sheets and wriggled around for a bit, making himself comfortable. Blushing, Merlin willed himself to look away, to look at anything but his back muscles shifting under his smooth skin.

"Merlin," nagged Arthur. "Whenever you're ready."

Merlin sensed his face heating up as his fingers came in contact with Arthur's bare skin. He had to concentrate hard to keep his hands from shaking or slipping, and that was very difficult indeed with all of Arthur's curves and muscles in full sight. This was the first time he'd done this with Arthur practically naked. Snippets of last night's dream came floating through his mind.

"How weak are you, really?" commented Arthur, turning his head slightly. "Come on, give it more effort."

"Wh-I…sorry." Clearing his throat, Merlin bowed his head and set to work kneading Arthur's shoulders and working between his shoulder blades. What was he thinking?

Relaxing, Arthur closed his eyes. When he wasn't being a complete weakling, Merlin's hands were magic, like cold water trickling all over your body on a blazing hot summer day. He could unravel the knots in his shoulders faster than even Morgana or Gwen.

Arthur involuntarily let out a little moan as Merlin's fingers traveled lightly down his spine to his lower back. He felt the heat rush to his cheeks.

"So, ah…how was training today?" Merlin applied extra pressure to Arthur's back to distract himself from his moan.

"Ow! What is with you today, Merlin? First you're barely touching me and now it's like you're trying to punch a hole in my back."

"Sorry," winced Merlin.

"Anyways, training went alright, I suppose." Arthur hoped Merlin hadn't seen Gwyn throw him down like he was some sort of amateur. "We only had time to do four one-on-ones, but I'm hoping to do the rest tomorrow."

They lapsed into an easy silence. As Merlin rubbed his back, tracing his way around his firm muscles, Arthur grew increasingly drowsy. With the hot afternoon sun warming his skin and Merlin's cool, nimble fingers refreshing it, his entire body soon started to feel heavy as lead, and he didn't have the energy to move even if he wanted to. One second, his eyelids were drooping sleepily, and the next, he was sound asleep, jaw slack.

_"Arthur," Merlin groaned, arching his back, as Arthur placed his lips on his pale neck. "Arthur…" _

_Arthur began to kiss him, softly at first, but then more aggressively, all over his neck and chest, hungrily and playfully at the same time._

_"Arthur," gasped Merlin, digging his fingernails into Arthur's back. "Arthur!"_

"Arthur!" Merlin shook Arthur's shoulder again.

"Nngff?" Arthur turned over and sat up, abruptly, as if he'd overslept and suddenly remembered something of importance, hair rumpled, looking confused.

Merlin leaned in close and peered at his face. "Arthur? Are you feeling alright?"

Looking up, the prince's blurred vision cleared a bit when he saw Merlin's face. Without thinking, he grabbed it on impulse, pulled him close, and kissed him


	3. Chapter 3

Taken by surprise, Merlin's eyes widened. When Arthur pulled away, he remained, frozen, in his position leaning over Arthur's bed.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…" Arthur fumbled with his words, a red blush creeping up his neck and ears. "I'm really, rea-"

He was cut off by Merlin's unexpectedly close proximity to his face. His long, dark eyelashes tickled Arthur's cheek as his eyes flicked down to his full, pink lips. Then, as if letting loose a dam of pent-up desire, he leaned forward, and in one swift, sudden movement, kissed him back.

Relief mingled with a sense of pleasant surprise washed over Arthur as he responded to the kiss, smiling against Merlin's soft lips. He wound his arms around his skinny waist, pulling him onto his lap, as Merlin's calloused hands made their way up his bare chest and neck to cup his jaw, thumbs lightly and irresistibly caressing his cheeks.

The kiss was somehow now more intense, all the hesitation and restraint gone; perhaps it was how they had wound themselves together comfortably, familiarly, on the bed or how their lust for each other had been growing and being left unchecked over the past few days. They pressed their hips against each other, each pushing himself as close to the other as possible, all the while fighting to hold the other's lips in his own.

Merlin pulled himself reluctantly away from Arthur to catch his breath. They sat there, huffing for air, foreheads still touching. He placed his hands back on Arthur's cheeks and glanced down at his moist, now slightly swollen lips.

"Merlin," Arthur panted, curling his fingers into Merlin's dark hair. He dived back into the kiss after the brief respite, hungrily taking Merlin's lips between his. "You," he gasped between pecks, "have _no_ idea"-he stripped Merlin's scarf and shirt off-"how long I've been waiting for this." Pausing to appreciate Merlin's unclothed upper body, he slid his hands along his sides, snaking them round to his bony back, up his spine, and then back to the front, running them up his chest. His arms, chest, and stomach were rather firm; he had more muscle than his baggy clothes and hunched shoulders let on.

"Arthur," groaned Merlin, arching his back, as Arthur placed his lips on his pale neck. "Arthur…"

His voice, somehow rough and smooth at the same time, stirred something within Arthur that just made him want, no, need, Merlin more. He began to kiss him, softly at first, like light, fluttering butterfly kisses, but then more aggressively, breathlessly, all over his neck and collarbone, kissing, sucking, biting, lingering over certain areas and running the tips of his fingers savouringly over others. He ached for more, the thirst rooted deep in his chest and throat, as if Merlin's skin was water and he hadn't had anything to drink in days.

"Arthur," Merlin gasped, digging his fingernails into Arthur's back, leaving red crescent-shaped marks in his lightly tanned skin. "Arthur!"

Arthur straightened again, surfacing for air. He bowed his head to touch his forehead to Merlin's. Shoulders and chests rising and falling in an almost synchronized rhythm, they looked up into each other's eyes. Not for the first time, it was brought to Arthur's attention how very exquisite Merlin's were. A lovely greenish cerulean shade, they were rimmed and veined with a gradual sapphire and the occasional, almost microscopic fleck of gold that wasn't visible unless the sunlight shone in his eyes at the right angle the way it did now.

At the same time, Merlin marvelled yet again at how the afternoon sun filtered through Arthur's fluttery, blond lashes and warmed those crystal blue eyes, so innocent-looking with a childlike sort of beauty.

With a quick twist and some arm muscle, Arthur flipped them both over so that Merlin was suddenly lying with his head cradled between two puffy white pillows, underneath him. For a moment, all Arthur could do was take in the sight before him, eyes roaming over every inch of Merlin's half-naked body. His dark hair stuck up here and there, messy in a way that made his heart skip a beat and the blood rush to his cheeks. His turquoise eyes, though half-lidded at the moment, seemed to shine with a lustre Arthur had never seen in them before, as if a fire had been lit behind them. His skin was flushed with pleasure and coated with a light sheen of sweat, and his rosy lips were parted, huffing little breaths that made his chest bob up and down underneath Arthur, that full, cleft lower lip he hadn't been able to stop thinking about just begging, crying out, to be kissed and bitten and smothered between his own lips.

Merlin lifted his gaze to Arthur's eyes as the latter lowered himself so that their bodies were pressed together and their faces inches from each other. Both suddenly feeling a bit dazed, as if for the first time realizing what they were doing, they searched each others' faces for some confirmation, or what one might even call permission, for what was about to happen.

Arthur pushed Merlin's unkempt hair back from his forehead with an almost out-of-character tenderness.

Merlin couldn't take it any longer. "Kiss me," he said hoarsely. "Kiss me now, Arthur."

More than happy to comply, Arthur bowed his neck and drew Merlin's waiting lips into a deep kiss, one hand roughly caressing his face, neck, arm, chest, the other fumbling with Merlin's pants.

One long kiss and a few tugs later, both men were free of their trousers. They broke apart for air, still clinging to each other almost desperately. Yanking the red-and-gold sheets around them, Arthur slid his hands along Merlin's thighs and hitched them up around his waist, tangling their legs together.

Lips still parted, Merlin tilted his head and borderline attacked Arthur's lips. He circled his arms around Arthur's waist as they turned over so that Merlin was now on top of Arthur.

Wrapping his legs around Arthur's, Merlin could feel his erection against his inner thigh. His heart sped up, blood rushing to his head and other parts of his body as well.

"Tell me how bad you want me," he whispered against Arthur's ear on an adrenaline-fuelled impulse, nipping at it for extra measure to elicit a satisfying groan from him.

"There aren't words," Arthur breathed, fingers trailing up the smooth plane of Merlin's back.

Merlin arched his back, forcing down a moan. "Keep doing that," he gasped. He pushed his hips forward, dragging his painfully hard cock along Arthur's firm hips and stomach. "Oh, Arthur…I want you inside me," Merlin moaned, relishing the tingle Arthur's hands brought as they traced the skin between his shoulder blades, along his spine, across his lower back, groping at him and tickling him lightly at the same time.

Arthur's voice was rough and shot with hard pleasure when he spoke. "I'm going to fuck you senseless into this bed," he breathed, enjoying Merlin's escalating moans as his wandering hands travelled further south. With one hand still holding Merlin's hip, he palmed his ass with the other and slid his finger into him, pushing the tip in and then extracting it again, grinding the pad of his finger against his entrance.

"I'll enjoy every second of it," Merlin gasped, trying not to buck.

Arthur wriggled out from underneath Merlin.

"Don't stop touching me," whimpered Merlin, the space beneath his chest feeling lonelily empty and hollow all of a sudden.

"I won't," Arthur promised, sounding sober and sincere in what felt like a brief moment's clarity. He melded his body to Merlin's. They fit together beautifully, like two halves of a shell fitted together, the convex hump of one pressing into the concave hollow of the other.

Teasingly, he took his time adjusting and positioning himself at Merlin's entrance.

"Arthur," he breathed. "I need you so bad right now…Oh, Arthur…"

Arthur lowered himself against Merlin's back and placed his lips at his ear. "Tell me how bad," he murmured in a low voice, causing Merlin to go practically crazy, virtually thrashing underneath him. Stifling a giggle, Arthur began playing with the curl of dark hair at the nape of Merlin's neck coyly.

"So…so bad," panted Merlin, biting at the pillow under his cheek. Still pinned under Arthur's muscular weight, he could do nothing else.

Arthur twirled the short lock of hair on his finger, purposely scraping the skin behind Merlin's ear lightly with the back of his fingernail. "Not a good enough answer," he insisted, a smile twitching his mouth as he sensed the shiver ghosting up along Merlin's spine.

"Arthur…I want you so bad right now," Merlin groaned, breath hitching each time Arthur tugged on his hair or brushed his fingers against the sensitive spots on his neck. He could feel himself slipping away, rational thought gone. All he wanted was Arthur inside him. "I want…I want you to fuck me...into oblivion."

A sensation, the kind that came with satisfying a craving or having a swig of cold water after day in the sun, coursed through Arthur's body. "Say that again," he commanded.

"I want you to fuck me into oblivion," breathed Merlin.

That did it for Arthur. He planted his knees on either side of Merlin's and placed his hands gently on his hips.

"Arthur…"

Arthur looked down at Merlin.

"The oil," Merlin managed to get out through the thrill that buzzed through his veins.

Looking around for it, Arthur spotted the bottle of massage oil on the bedside table. He poured it into his palm and wrapped his hand around his own cock, moving it up and down to cover his entire length. Soft moans evoked by little bursts of pleasure escaped his lips.

Hearing the noises Arthur was making, Merlin began to squirm with growing discomfort and longing.

Taking pity on him, Arthur hugged his body to Merlin's again and closed his fingers, still slick with excess oil, around his shaft and began pumping up and down, slowly and softly.

A gasp sounded from the bottom of Merlin's throat, his hips convulsing slightly.

As gently as he could manage to, Arthur slid himself into Merlin. After all that foreplay, it was hard to hold himself back from pounding him roughly and recklessly.

It was a strange, foreign feeling to have someone inside of him, but once he got more used to it, Merlin decided he liked it-especially with Arthur pumping his oily hand up and down his cock to the same rhythm he fucked him with. Then Arthur shifted angled himself just right, thrusting his hips forward harder and faster. A loud, built-up moan from Merlin only encouraged him.

"Oh, Arthur," Merlin rasped, hips bucking. He let out another, lower moan.

Arthur was less vocal on account of his mouth being occupied with the task of wetly kissing and biting Merlin's neck, shoulders, and back as he fucked him. He drove himself into Merlin without restraint now, his only interest pleasuring himself and Merlin. With every thrust bringing him an addicting, burning little spurt of pleasure, it was all he could do not to cry out for all of Camelot to hear.

"I'm getting close," gasped Merlin, thrusting madly into Arthur's firm grip. A trace of gold flashed through the iris of his left eye, lasting only for a bare fraction of a second.

Moaning, Arthur sensed himself steadily climbing towards his peak. "I'm going to come, Merlin," he gasped, gripping Merlin's hips tight.

Merlin scrabbled at the loose white sheets in front of him, sweaty hands groping for support, barely containing the screams of ecstasy bubbling in his chest. A golden fire ringed his half-lidded eyes as he reached his climax at the same time as Arthur with a cry.

Skin sticky with sweat, they collapsed, gasping, into the cool pillows together. Arthur slipped his arm around Merlin, who turned over to face him.

With their faces inches from each other, they couldn't help but admire each other again, eyes roving over flushed skin, rising and falling chests and shoulders, panting pink lips, messy, sunlit hair. And both were thinking the same thing: _he is so beautiful._

Arthur took Merlin's hand and held it between their heaving chests, running his thumb along his knuckles and savouring the unique texture of his skin. He could happily spend his days touching Merlin, exploring his skin and memorizing every curve, every scar, every crease. "I love you, Merlin," he sighed.

Merlin just smiled, looked down and their clasped hands, and wriggled closer to Arthur. "I love you, too, Arthur."


End file.
